Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Solo shows are making a big comeback right now in the theater world. Are you Mike Daisey lite?

Mike Daisey sits at a table and just talks. I think I'm more akin to Spalding Gray. I'm not a stand-up comic either. I'm more of a performer. I literally play dozens or sometimes 100 characters onstage. People forget there's one person onstage. They think they're watching a Halloween episode of The Simpsons.What?

Look, I've never met Rick Miller or seen his work. I'm not going to rip on him—he's been doing the same show for seventeen years (SEVENTEEN YEARS!) so he has a hard enough row to hoe.

But if you're a professional solo performer and think all I do is sit at a table and "just talk"…well, I don't think you're watching too carefully.

Even weirder—if you think that's what I do, but then draw a distinction for Spalding…well, I just have no idea how anyone squares that circle so it makes any sense.